It seemed odd to me at the time as well, but it was a shed fire (most people wouldn't keep firearms in an unsecured shed), and no signs of a gun during overhaul.

You'd be surprised where people and how some people store there guns in WI lol.

I can't say exactly how it happened, but I saw the results first hand. Might have been just the right (or wrong) circumstances that may or may not ever happen again. I've had other fires that ammunition was cooking off without any injuries or anybody even saying they felt something hit them. In most circumstances, unless the person had a large arsenal, It's not something I worry a lot about.

Right I wasn't trying to question that what you saw was wrong, I was just clarifying for myself.

"A fire department that writes off civilians faster than an express line of 6 reasons or less is not progressive, it's dangerous, because it's run by fear. Fear does not save lives, it endangers them." -- Lt. Ray McCormack FDNY

I read a story in guns and ammo about how the author threw a live round of .45 acp into a five gallon bucket of live ammo. It went off and was quite dangerous. However, the brass case was not weakened by fire so the comparison might not be valid.

I read a story in guns and ammo about how the author threw a live round of .45 acp into a five gallon bucket of live ammo. It went off and was quite dangerous. However, the brass case was not weakened by fire so the comparison might not be valid.

Yeah, it was not much of a comparison. I started off trying to explain why loose ammo might be dangerous and why the other guy would have had the round penetrate his bunker gear. The guy in the guns and ammo story had the round detonate by throwing the live round into a pail of live rounds and the primer struck the rim of another case. I think the bullet lodged into a piece of wood. Pretty dangerous! But then I got to thinking about how the case would be weakened in a fire and might not contain as much pressure before the bullet left the case or maybe how the extreme heat might degrade the powder and might not be able to release as much energy. Therefore, the round cooked off in a fire would not be as dangerous as the round tossed into a bucket at the range. It was at that point in my original post that I realized I had accomplished nothing and should have deleted it!

Yeah, it was not much of a comparison. I started off trying to explain why loose ammo might be dangerous and why the other guy would have had the round penetrate his bunker gear. The guy in the guns and ammo story had the round detonate by throwing the live round into a pail of live rounds and the primer struck the rim of another case. I think the bullet lodged into a piece of wood. Pretty dangerous! But then I got to thinking about how the case would be weakened in a fire and might not contain as much pressure before the bullet left the case or maybe how the extreme heat might degrade the powder and might not be able to release as much energy. Therefore, the round cooked off in a fire would not be as dangerous as the round tossed into a bucket at the range. It was at that point in my original post that I realized I had accomplished nothing and should have deleted it!

That seems like a pretty freaky occurrence to me. Thanks for explaining.

its been my experience that the brass being lighter will travel a considerable distance than the lead. The brass tends to tumble and will hit you about as hard as a person can throw it. My concerns tend to be gas cans, propane cylinders, aerosol paint cans, even got whacked by a can of expanding foam once. You get some water to the seat, things get better fast.

its been my experience that the brass being lighter will travel a considerable distance than the lead. The brass tends to tumble and will hit you about as hard as a person can throw it. My concerns tend to be gas cans, propane cylinders, aerosol paint cans, even got whacked by a can of expanding foam once. NO MEANS NO, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIGURE THAT OUT. You get some water to the seat, things get better fast.

Actually you are spot on in my opinion. Nothing says perk up and hide like propane tanks and gas cans inside a structure deciding to start exiting rather violently. Loose ammo, not so much.